Former NFL Running Back May Be Living with CTE

Former NFL running back Charlie Garner revealed that he may be dealing with the early stages of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repetitive trauma, leading to memory loss, impaired judgment, and more.

In a player profile written by Pat Yasinskas for Sporting News, Garner said he is experiencing many of the symptoms associated with the brain disease and says he may have suffered about 12 concussions a season over his 11-year career in the league.

“I don’t have all my faculties anymore,” the 45-year-old Garner said. “I can’t remember things. When I go to the mall or grocery store, I have to take one of my kids with me to remember where the car is parked. I have trouble remembering conversations I had five minutes ago. Bright lights bother me. I just don’t feel right all the time.”

Garner, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, said he was only officially diagnosed with two concussions while playing in the NFL and none while playing in college. He went to a doctor after experiencing some of the symptoms a year ago and was surprised at what the doctor told him.

“He explained that even minor collisions could cause the brain to rattle against the skull,” Garner said. “When I thought about that, I realized I probably had at least a dozen concussions a year and played through them. You do the math. At least a dozen concussions a year over 11 years. No matter how you look at it, that’s a lot.”

A former girlfriend also noted a change in behavior that aligns with symptoms of CTE, including the extreme mood swings that led to their breakup about a year ago. Although he was never physically abusive to her, she said he was verbally abusive.

“He was a pussycat one minute and a lion the next,” she said. “You just never knew when the volcano would erupt.”

Garner Part of $1 Billion NFL Concussion Settlement

Repeated brain injuries and brain diseases have been an ongoing controversy surrounding the NFL. Garner, along with hundreds of other former players, sued the league for not educating them thoroughly on the dangers of concussions and not protecting them.

It wasn’t until 2009 did the NFL finally acknowledge the long-term effects concussions have on players and begin changing its approach to dealing with concussions.

“It’s quite obvious from the medical research that’s been done that concussions can lead to long-term problems,” then league spokesman Greg Aiello told The New York Times in December 2009.

This came after years of denying the connection. Just a few months before Aiello’s acknowledgment, he criticized an NFL-funded study that found former NFL players were 19 times more likely than the general population to have dementia, Alzheimer’s disease or other memory-related diseases.

The suit between players and the league was settled for an estimated $1 billion, which includes payouts to those with a list of qualified diseases and free testing for every retired player. By agreeing to the terms, the NFL was able to avoid acknowledging any wrongdoing or revealing what it knew in a highly publicized court trial.

The registration period for the settlement opened Feb. 6 for the roughly 20,000 former players eligible to sign up for free testing and possible financial awards.

However, in mid-March, it was reported that only about half of eligible players registered on the NFL settlement website.

“I find it interesting that only 50 percent have registered,” Pittsburgh attorney Jason Luckasevic told the Tribune-Review at the time. “That tells you that a lot of guys are apathetic or unable to realize that they need to do something.”

Players could receive financial awards up to $5 million depending on the type of disease they have. Those diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, could receive the maximum award. Families of those diagnosed with CTE, which can only be confirmed after someone has died, could receive $4 million. Those with Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s diseases could receive $3.5 million.

Garner Doesn’t Regret NFL Career

Still, despite his declining mental health, Garner told Yasinskas he is proud of his career but might have done things a little differently if he had the chance.

“Football gave me a good lifestyle for me and my family,” Garner said. “But I might end up paying a big price for it. Other people already have paid a big price for it. People ask me all the time if I would do it all over again if I knew more about concussions. I say yes, but I would do it as a defensive back because I wouldn’t have taken so many hits.”

He also said that his 10-year-old son Charlie is already extremely athletic for his age and excels in flag football. However, he does not participate in contact football.

Interestingly, it wasn’t Garner’s decision to stop him from playing.

“No, it’s his choice all the way,” Garner said. “He’s old enough to hear some of the things about concussions. Maybe when he gets into high school, he might want to play. I won’t stop him and I’ll support him. But I’ll encourage him to play defensive back and do everything I can to keep him safe. But, if he doesn’t want to play, that will be fine with me.”

Any blog content posted on The Eichholz Law Firm website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and is not considered to be legal advice.
If you or a loved one believe you have a class action lawsuit claim, please contact us for a free case evaluation.

Popular Tags

Terms and Conditions ("Terms")

Last updated: December 07, 2017

Please read these Terms and Conditions ("Terms", "Terms and Conditions") carefully before using the https://www.thejusticelawyer.com/ website (the "Service") operated by The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. ("us", "we", or "our").

Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users and others who access or use the Service.

By accessing or using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the terms then you may not access the Service. The materials contained in this web site are protected by applicable copyright and trade mark law.

Disclaimer of Liability

The materials and information contained within the Service is of a general, informational nature but does not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be constituted as such. Use of the Service in any way, does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

Except as required by law, neither The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. nor its affiliated firms or businesses accept any responsibility and shall not be liable for any damages (direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or exemplary), resulting from the use of this Service. This includes, but is not limited to, damages (for loss of profits, goodwill, use, data or other intangible losses) resulting from the use of or inability to use the Service or its contents or from any interruption or delay in access to the Service for whatever reason.

Note also that sending an e-mail to our office does not create a lawyer-client relationship, and none will be formed unless there is an expressed agreement between the firm and the client. Therefore, we strongly advise you against sending confidential or privileged information to us until you can establish such a relationship.

Links To Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C.

The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third party websites or services. You further acknowledge and agree that The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such websites or services.

We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party websites or services that you visit.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Georgia, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between us regarding our Service, and supersede and replace any prior agreements we might have between us regarding the Service.

Changes

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material we will try to provide at least 30 days notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.

By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, please stop using the Service.

Fill out this form for a FREE, immediate, Case Evaluation

Terms and Conditions ("Terms")

Last updated: December 07, 2017

Please read these Terms and Conditions ("Terms", "Terms and Conditions") carefully before using the https://www.thejusticelawyer.com/ website (the "Service") operated by The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. ("us", "we", or "our").

Your access to and use of the Service is conditioned on your acceptance of and compliance with these Terms. These Terms apply to all visitors, users and others who access or use the Service.

By accessing or using the Service you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you disagree with any part of the terms then you may not access the Service. The materials contained in this web site are protected by applicable copyright and trade mark law.

Disclaimer of Liability

The materials and information contained within the Service is of a general, informational nature but does not constitute legal or professional advice and should not be constituted as such. Use of the Service in any way, does not establish an attorney-client relationship.

Except as required by law, neither The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. nor its affiliated firms or businesses accept any responsibility and shall not be liable for any damages (direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or exemplary), resulting from the use of this Service. This includes, but is not limited to, damages (for loss of profits, goodwill, use, data or other intangible losses) resulting from the use of or inability to use the Service or its contents or from any interruption or delay in access to the Service for whatever reason.

Note also that sending an e-mail to our office does not create a lawyer-client relationship, and none will be formed unless there is an expressed agreement between the firm and the client. Therefore, we strongly advise you against sending confidential or privileged information to us until you can establish such a relationship.

Links To Other Websites

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C.

The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. has no control over, and assumes no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third party websites or services. You further acknowledge and agree that The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. shall not be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused or alleged to be caused by or in connection with use of or reliance on any such content, goods or services available on or through any such websites or services.

We strongly advise you to read the terms and conditions and privacy policies of any third-party websites or services that you visit.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed and construed in accordance with the laws of Georgia, United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms will not be considered a waiver of those rights. If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable by a court, the remaining provisions of these Terms will remain in effect. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between us regarding our Service, and supersede and replace any prior agreements we might have between us regarding the Service.

Changes

We reserve the right, at our sole discretion, to modify or replace these Terms at any time. If a revision is material we will try to provide at least 30 days notice prior to any new terms taking effect. What constitutes a material change will be determined at our sole discretion.

By continuing to access or use our Service after those revisions become effective, you agree to be bound by the revised terms. If you do not agree to the new terms, please stop using the Service.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about these Terms, please contact us.

319 Eisenhower Dr. Savannah, GA 31406

Legal Disclaimer: This site may contain attorney advertising for David S. Eichholz.
2011. The Eichholz Law Firm, P.C. | Privacy Policy